Prong buckle



p 22, 1931- J. H. DOMKEE 1,824,333

PRONG BUCKLE Filed July 17. 1930 JEJHN H DEIMKEIE ATT Patented Sept. 22, 1 931 as Sam-Es PATENT orricu JOHN H. noluirnuor nwrrAv CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO Tnnwrnu NOVELTY MANUFACTURING oorrrANY, or WEST HAVEN; ooNNEcTIouT,AcoRPonATro or CONNECTICUT rnoNe' BUCKLE Application filed July 17, 1930. Serial Ila 468 567.

This invention relates to prong buckles employed mounted upon one length of strap to be adjustably secured to anotherflength of strap thread-ed within the buckle and penetrated by the prongs. In this type of buckle the points ofthe'prongs, having penetrated the strap, remain exposed and are thus liable to scratch the hand'adjusting thestrap and to catch and tear fabrics with which they come in contact. The applicant is aware that improvements to obviate this condition have been made by providing recessed orbent portions of the buckle frame for the reception of the points of the prongs which are either swung or longitudinally advanced therein for protection. Also, in assembling the members of this type of buckle, it is sometimes considered expedient to so jam the pivotal bearings-that the points of the prongs are made to snugly lie more or less fixedly against the buckle frame to prevent entanglement of buckle units during the finishing process, but, when the buckles are thus delivered to the trade, difficulty is experienced in mounting the buckleson straps thereby connected because of the resistance vagainst the relative pivotal movement of the buckle members. It is the intention therefore of this invention to not only provide a novel means for the protection of'the points of the prongs "of a'prong buckle, but also to include within'that'protection a holding means of such efficiency as to hold the points of the prongs 'protectingly not only during the finishing processbut also when in use even though-the buckle members are'loosely assembled at their pivotal bearings. lVith the above in mind the objects of the invention are to provide a prong buckle with a novel means for protecting the points of the prongs; to provide such protecting means with means for holding the prongs close against the buckle frame; and to provide a p ivotalassembly of the buckle members with a relative movement &5.

along their pivotal axis to laterally present the points of the prongs and the combined protecting and holding means, one to the other, and also for their separation when desired. lVith these and other objects in view "as may become'apparent fromthe within disthe points of,

closures, the invention consists not only of the particular form herein pointed out and illustrated in the drawings, but readily admits of certain modifications within the scope of what hereinafter may be claimed, therefore the character of the improvement may be best understood by reference to one illustrative device embodyingthe invention and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings in which the Figure l is a front elevation of a prong buckle illustrating the prongs protectingly held; the Figure 2 is a similar elevation but illustrating the buckle members relatively shifted laterally and the prongs "free, from their protecting holding means; the Figure 3 is a side elevation of the closed prong buckle, the open position of a member bein illustrated in dotted lines and the Fi ure 4: is a cross-section of the buckle frame on frame and prong members 1 and 2 in a common plane for relative movement out of said plane, the flattened .section3 of the frame member 1 parallel to the pivotal axis4, and the prongs 5' and 6 provided by the prong member 2 and "having the pointed ends 7 and 8. respectively, intersectingly engaging the fiattenedlsection 3, are all old in the art, the novelty herein disclosed consisting of the peculiar formations with which the flattened section 3 is-provided,- and the pivotal assembling of the members 1' and 2 so as to permit a relative lateral movement as between the members 1 and 2 along their pivotal axis and a consequentshifting of the points 7 and 8 of the prongs 5 and 6 along the-flattened section 3. Each of the formations'provided by the section 3 parallel with the pivotal axis 4 is made by uliu marched section 3 to provide the oil-set housing 9 and the adjacent depressed por ion 10. forming the housing 9 a slight downwardly extending projection ll is provided by the housing 9 to form the r -cted entrance 12 to the housingato l l the passing theretliroilgh o ahe prong points 7 and 8.

In use, the prong buckle mounted in the usual way upon a straplnot illustrated) fixedly looped upon a bar of the prong member 2.

The connecting ,trap (not illlustrated) is threaded in the usual. manner into the frame member 1 whi e the buckle members 1 and 2 are relatively swung to an open condition illustrated in c otted lines by the Figure 3, the cou penetrated by the p prongs 5 and 3 upon the ole members so that the prong p exposed in the usual man: against the section 3. permits the buckle members 1 and be relatively movoil laterally along otal' axis i and out of aligmnent, one the other, as illustrated by-th Figure that the exposed prong points 7 and 8 are each in the position, as regards the formations of the housing 9 and the depressionll),

to be laterally presented to therestricted enbeing locked,

trance, and laterally moved into the tecting and holding means by the-re return movements of the buckle members 1 and 2 to aligned positions illustrated by the Figure 1 wherein each of the prong points 7 and 8 are lodged within and beyond the restricted entrance 12 between the iormations 9 and 10,the prongs 5 and 6 thus lit 1 their points 7 and 8 Witl in the housing 9, A movement along or out of toe plane 0. s 1 ackle. It is evident that this and th e len so that do? the automatic operations of i cture the i mbers l J or tne lins and for and 2 may be i readiness ishing process or pacldng without '1 claim:

1. A prong buckle having frame and prong members pivotally assembled in a common plane, said pivotal assembly being loose enough to provide rela ive movements along their pivotal axes and al o out of said plane;

flattened section provided by, and in th lel to aid and housings provided by and extending plane of, the frame and are n a es v dod by I along the flattened section, each housing being formed by making an L-shaped incision in the flattened section and off-setting the metal therein sufliciently out of the plane of said section to provide the housing with openings above, and facing one end and an edge of, the flattened section to admit the end of a prong advanced laterally by the relative axial movement of the buckle members.

2. A prong buckle having frame and prong members pivotally assembled in a common plane, said pivotal assembly being loose enough to provide relative movements along their pivotal axes and also out of said plane; a flattened section provided by and in the plane of the frame and parallel to said axes; prongs provided by the prong member to intersectingly engage the flattened section; and housin 's provided by and extending along the flattened section, each housing being formed. by making an L-shaped incision to provide the housing with openings facing I one end and an edge of the said section to admit the end ofa prong advanced laterally by the relative axial movement of the buckle members. 1

3. A prong buckle having frame and prong members pivotally assembled in a common plane, said pivotal assembly being loose enough to provide relative movements along their pivotal axes and also out of said plane, a flattened section provided by and in the plane of the frame and parallel to said axes; prongs provided by the prong member to intersectingly engage the flattened section; and prong protecting and holding means provided by and extending along the flattened section and comprising L-shaped incisions in saidsection, the metal therein ofi-set in one direction out of the plane of said section and the metal aroundthe incisions depressed in the opposite direction, the elf-set metal portions each having an inwardly extending prolection, each L-shaped formation thus providing a housing with a restricted end ope-ning and an opening facing an edge of the flattened section to admit and to hold the end of a prong advanced laterally and urged through therestricted opening by the relative axial movement of the buckle members.

.A prong buckle having a wire frame and a wire pron member pivotally assembled in a common plane, said pivotal assembly being loos-e enough to provide relative movements along their pivotal axes and also out of said plane; a flattened section parallel to said axes andprovided by the wire frame; prongsprovi deed by the prong member to intersectingly engage the flattened section. and housings provided by the flattened section, each housing having an opening to admit the end of a prong advanced laterally by the relative axial movements of the frame and prong member. 5. A prong buckle having a Wire frame and a Wire prong member pivotally assembled in a common plane, said pivotal assembly being loose enough to provide relative movements along their pivotal axes and also out of said plane; a flattened section provided by and in the plane of the frame and parallel-to said axes; prongs provided by the prong member to intersectingly engage the flattened section;

and housings provided by the flattened section, each h-ousing'havingan opening to admit the end of a prong advanced laterally by the relative axial movements of the frame and prong member.

JOHN H. DOMKEE. 

